Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know it’s been quite a year for pollution in Beijing. Just this past December, a memorandum was issued for the first time by education authorities as a reaction to Beijing declaring its first two red alerts, calling for the closures of schools, factories, and odds/evens traffic restrictions. Under standards set last March, a red alert was to be issued when the air quality was forecast to be over AQI 200 for three days in a row or more, a level the US considers “very unhealthy”. Under new criteria set to take place by the end of the month, however, the highest alert will be issued when the daily average air quality index (AQI) is forecast to exceed 500 for a day, 300 for two consecutive days or 200 for four days, according to Xinhua as cited by Beijing’s environmental protection bureau.

While most schools in the international school community were quick to take action in response to memorandum, with some suspending class for a couple days at a time, many schools have had stringent air pollution policies in place for years now. When it comes to pollution, however, it turns out that air pollution isn’t the only thing international schools are taking into account; indoor pollutants may also be having an effect on health.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies from the US found that the levels of indoor pollutants may be up to 100 times higher than outdoor levels depending on the design and age of the building, location (urban or rural), outdoor AQI, and building materials used. These studies are used as a baseline by environmentalists worldwide, as the EPA sets out healthy limits for commercial and private spaces. Other studies have ranked indoor air pollution among the top four public environmental health risks.

This is of special concern to families living in Beijing, where the high AQI often confines students indoors. Children spend an average of seven hours at school, making indoor air quality (IAQ) a priority. Poor IAQ contributes to a higher likelihood of developing asthma and negatively affects productivity and attendance. The EPA sets out a six-point plan for managing IAQ levels: assess, plan, act, organize, communicate, and evaluate, which we’ve used to organize the article.

To see what schools are doing to ensure a healthy environment for students, we spoke to Andy Puttock and Travis Washko of the British School of Beijing, Shunyi (BSB), Gabriele Solarik of the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB) and Cory Dickson from the Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB).

“We want to be able to tell parents that the safest place for a child is in the school,” says Principal Andy Puttock of BSB Shunyi. Having led the school since the summer of 2013, Puttock visited others schools to find out what strategies were in place, from sports domes to the monitoring of indoor air pollution.

Prior to his arrival, BSB’s initial response was to purchase standalone air purifiers that sit on the floor – a largely reactive move. To identify major pollutants in various sections of the campus, BSB contracted PureLiving as well as two other companies from Shanghai and Tianjin to conduct independent tests. CISB also uses a mixture of PureLiving supplies and privately purchased devices to monitor the air within the school.

PureLiving specializes in indoor air quality solutions, and provides testing for air and water quality, mold, and lead in businesses and residences. They also are involved in monitoring and maintenance, collecting data for their own and clients’ future reference.

The company often performs a site visit, during which a floor plan is drawn up for a closer look at the infrastructure. Then, a team of experts tests for various pollutants such as PM2.5, carbon dioxide, mold, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene. The data is sent to a lab and the results are reported to the client in a report, with a breakdown of the major areas of concerns and recommendations for a plan of action.

MSB has had its indoor air quality tested in the past by Healthpro, but is looking to have an independent third party verify its newly-installed air filtration system once it’s been optimized. Administration and Communications Development Manager Gabriele Solarik has a background in environmental engineering and is currently working with outside experts to identify potential risks.

If the report finds unhealthy levels of indoor pollutants, there will be several rounds of consultations and discussions between the school management, parents, health care professionals, faculty, and government representatives if necessary. It will also affect the school’s short- and long-term planning, as the various recommendations are subject to funding and, if major construction is required, approvals from various governing bodies for permissions such as building permits.

Act • Address the source of the problems • Educate staff about IAQ

After receiving the independent reports, BSB decided to remove carpets from several large rooms as they were found to be a source of mold and dust. The school also built a RMB 10 million sports dome to be used on high AQI days to ensure that children still had a space to play for PE classes and recess.

The summer of 2014 was a busy period for all three schools, as they each installed ceiling-mounted air filtration systems. A ceiling-mounted air filtration system addresses the issue of ventilation when the windows are closed, which can otherwise lead to a build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2). Excessive levels of CO2 can lead to students fatigue and even affect their concentration.

CISB took further measures to assess the air quality in order to ensure student safety. “We use the Mass Concentration Index instead of AQI for our indoor air. This correlates closely to WHO and US EPA health standards,” says Dickson, head of admissions and director of public relations. “We follow the United States Embassy AQI index for outdoor air, as the US embassy is located very close to CISB.”

BSB found that children spent an average of 15 minutes in the bus before going home; the opening and closing of several doors led to higher exposure to poor air quality. In response, the school implemented an anti-idling policy and installed HEPA filtration systems in the buses themselves. Though masks are sold in the school, Puttock says that they aren’t mandatory; BSB doesn’t put itself in the position of advocating for any one product. MSB, on the other hand, encourages students to wear masks when the AQI is above 180 and sells MSB-branded Vogmasks at school.

After MSB’s facilities were tested, the school began to measure PM10 particles and in the process realized it was much “dustier” then expected. This resulted in a change to the cleaning policies such as using different types of filters in the vacuum cleaners.

Unlike in Shanghai, international schools in Beijing that are members of the International Schools Athletic Conference agreed to cap limits for outdoor tournaments. According to Travis Washko, the director of sports and physical education at BSB Shunyi, children are monitored before, during, and after PE classes and observations are documented. This is done especially for children with respiratory difficulties. Though the measure isn’t new (most schools do it), the process makes it easier for educators to look after students confined indoors. BSB, MSB, and CISB have come up with various measures to respond to high AQI readings (see below). BSB has a school flag program where red, amber, or green flags are displayed at all exits to let everyone know if children are allowed outside or not.

Communication is key to ensuring everyone obeys air pollution policies. BSB’s policy is published and updated regularly on the school website. In addition, the entire school is sent an email three times daily of AQI and indoor PM readings from the front desk.

At CISB, monitors are placed throughout the school and are checked twice daily with the average reported on the school’s website along with a comparison to outdoor air. Additionally, Dickson says CISB’s communications includes cooperation with the local government and education bureau whenever an air quality alert is announced as well as notifying parents of the alert and having teachers prepare lessons to post on their websites for students who wish to work from home.

PureLiving helped Fangcaodi International School formulate an indoor air quality policy and also set up a live indoor monitoring function at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS), which is accessible to the public through a QR code. The company has done this in the past for other schools and commercial clients in Shanghai and Beijing.

Evaluate • Solicit feedback
When it comes to air quality, school policies are constantly evolving as new technologies and best practices emerge. Schools differ widely in their policies, which are evaluated over time and informed by parent, teacher, and student feedback.

For schools without a comprehensive air quality policy, PureLiving offers these 10 tips for improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

1. Close doors and windows. Beijing’s outdoor PM2.5 levels are typically three to six times the recommended EPA standard. Opening windows might seem to bring in “fresh” air, but what it’s really bringing is all that outdoor pollution into the classrooms. Any air filtration measures are also defeated by having uncontrolled ventilation.

2. Ventilate regularly. At the same time, chemical emissions from renovations, germs from sick children, and high levels of carbon dioxide will continue to build up indoors unless proper ventilation is maintained. The buildup of harmful gases can also damage health and filters. When the AQI is low, take the opportunity to open doors and windows; 20 to 30 minutes at a time is enough.

3. Install HVAC filters. Install a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system if your system can support it, portable filters if it cannot. Ventilation is best achieved with an HVAC system that filters in fresh air from outdoors and flushes out indoor pollutants. If you have a powerful enough system, adding building-wide filters is much more cost-effective than buying individual air purifiers.

4. Control moisture to avoid mold and damp. Moisture, whether from structural leak, flooding, or high humidity, inevitably leads to mold. Mold can cover a wall in less than 48 hours. Water needs to be removed with dehumidifiers or mops, and the leak needs to be identified and fixed before mold spreads.

5. Do not allow basement rooms and storage closets to pile up. Every school has a storage room that may harbor mold, dust mites, cockroaches, and even rats. Avoid stockpiling paper, cardboard boxes, and anything with cloth or cellulose that can feed pests.

6. Make sure that plans are being followed. Regular inspections send the right message and reinforce good habits. Just like your body, a building needs to be monitored and maintained to make sure it stays health.

7. Take care of the youngest children first. Younger children are more vulnerable to poor air quality due to their faster respiration rates, underdeveloped immune systems, proximity to the ground, and higher likelihood of asthma and allergies. Protective equipment such as filters and masks should be prioritized.

8. Use HEPA or highly-filtered vacuum cleaners. Bad vacuums will suck up larger particles and shoot the more dangerous tiny particles out the back, where they can be breathed in. Modern HEPA vacuums provide air that is as clean as what comes out of air purifiers.

9. Conduct a baseline audit of your school’s indoor air and water environment. Having indoor environmental consultants inspect the school looking for problems and opportunities for improvement will help the school further its own action plan.

10. Establish an air quality management plan and train the operations staff. All staff should be aware of the daily air quality, what the numbers mean, how that affects outdoor activity and sports, when to open windows, and how filters work. Continuous air quality monitors are invaluable because they can raise an alarm when levels exceed healthy limits; they can even automate filtration systems to turn on and off as needed.

This article originally appeared on pages 32-35 of the beijingkids March 2016 issue. Click here to read the issue for free on Issuu.com. To find out how you can get your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com